


Mine to Protect

by alicedragons



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: (if you squint), Bottom Edge, Detective AU, Dom Edge, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild Angst, Possessiveness, Smut, Sub Rus, Top Rus, brief anxiety, collaring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-06-11 10:09:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15313230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alicedragons/pseuds/alicedragons
Summary: “You’re mine. Mine to protect. Mine to keep safe, Rus. My Rus. My sweet Rus.”It’s difficult. Being married to someone perpetually on the brink of death. Edge copes. In his own way.





	Mine to Protect

**Author's Note:**

> A collaboration I did with [Painty](https://paintys-actual-art.tumblr.com/). Go check them out! They drew an incredible comic based on this fic. It honestly left me speechless.
> 
> For anyone who wasn't already aware, I just _love_ collaring. And hurt/comfort collaring is my favourite. I hope you all enjoy this!

“Rus, where are you? Pick up your damn phone.”

Edge’s fingers shook as he hung up. He dropped back down onto the sofa and tossed his phone on the coffee table. He pinched his nasal bridge tremulously. Burying his face in the fabric of his hoodie— _Rus’s_ hoodie—he inhaled in an attempt to steady his quick breaths. Inside, his soul felt heavy, his chest tight around it.

Three hours. Rus was three hours late and Edge felt sick. He _hated_ Rus’s job. He hated seeing Rus leave in the mornings with his badge and gun. His soul ached every time Rus smiled at him and kissed him goodbye. He had Rus’s ‘goodbye smile’ committed to memory, just in case it really was the last memory he had of him.

Edge felt like he was back Underground. Sitting in wait for the news of another friend’s death. Only this wasn’t just another friend. This was _Rus._ This was his whole _life_. Sweet, delicate— _stupid—_ Tale-verse Rus, who could shatter as easily as glass.

Images haunted Edge. Images of Rus bleeding out on the street, alone, his bones crumbling…

Edge’s breath hitched and he snatched his phone off the table, dialling Rus’s number again. And again, it went straight to voicemail. He ground his teeth against tears and clung to himself, holding in the sharp sobs that made his entire body tremble.

Edge’s emotions were so unbalanced, that when he heard keys in the front door, he wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or angry. He leapt up from the couch, and had Rus in his arms before he’d even had the chance to step inside the apartment. “edge—” Rus froze for a second, startled, then relaxed into his hold. “hello to you, too.” He drew back to study Edge. “you’re… wearing my hoodie.” His features hardened as realisation struck him. “edge—precious—are you alright?” he asked, looking at Edge firmly

Edge pulled away to survey Rus, holding him still by his shoulders. “Are you hurt?” he asked. Rus blinked, bewildered. Edge Checked him. 5/5 HP. He slumped with relief and pulled him in again. “Don’t _do_ that to me,” he hissed. “Where were you? I thought you were—” Edge choked on his words, swallowing against the thickness in his throat. He clung to Rus, tight enough make his breath catch.

“s-sorry,” Rus said. “i just had to stay late. paperwork.”

“And you couldn’t have _called?_ ” Edge demanded.

“my battery died,” Rus said. “i’m sorry, i didn’t—”

“Why didn’t you charge it?” Edge asked, knowing he was being unreasonable. “Or borrow someone else’s phone?”

“edge…”

“I was just waiting for the station to call. I kept checking the news to see if there had been any shootings. And the monster death registry. I thought—”

“edge,” Rus said, firmer. He pulled back and gave Edge a hard look. “i’m _fine._ okay? i’m alright.”

Edge squeezed his sockets shut, fighting tears. “I hate your job,” he breathed. “I hate waiting to hear that you’ve been caught in bullet-fire, or stabbed by some crook, or—hell, just _hit_ too hard in training. You have _five_ HP, Rus. You’re...” He shook his head, breathing tremulously. “I can’t lose you.”

Rus was silent. He studied Edge, sympathy in his soft eyes. Cupping Edge’s face, he rested their foreheads together. “i’m okay, edge,” he whispered. “i’m right here. i’m fine.” Edge could feel his warm breaths against his face; smell his familiar magic; sense the steady presence of his soul.

He drew Rus in, slowly this time, cradling him against his chest. “Stay with me,” he murmured, moving his hands over Rus’s body, touching every bone he could find.

“i’m not going anywhere,” Rus replied softly. A lie, but Edge chose to believe it, for now.

His fingers found Rus’s neck and he inhaled, his magic stirring. “Rus…” He pressed the tip of his thumb between the vertebrae and felt Rus shudder. “Please, let me… I need…”

Leaning into the touch for a fleeting moment, then pulling away, Rus shared a lingering look with him. There was understanding in his eyes, the gold flashing momentarily brighter. “yes,” he said. “okay. but—dinner first. i’m starving.” Rus smiled gently, but Edge’s nod of agreement was stiff and forced. He didn’t want to delay. He needed Rus— _now._

“have you eaten?” Rus asked as he swung his bag off his shoulder. Edge hurried to stay by his side as he passed into the kitchen, keeping his arm around Rus’s waist.

“No,” he said. “I was waiting for you. I made pasta.”

“perfect,” Rus said, leaning closer to kiss Edge’s cheekbone. The touch was fleeting, but it sent a pleasant chill through Edge, and he yearned for more.

They ate on the sofa, sitting in silence. Edge prodded at his food disinterestedly. He didn’t let go of Rus; leaning against him, keeping a hand on his knee, an arm around his waist. When Rus had finished eating, he tucked his head against Edge’s shoulder, and Edge paused for a second, relishing in the feeling.

Placing his half-empty plate on the coffee table, he dragged Rus closer and kissed the crown of his skull. Neither of them spoke, but Rus purred quietly as Edge nipped his neck and clavicle, burying his face against him and breathing him in. “You’re mine,” he rumbled, dragging his fingers down Rus’s spine.

Rus hummed, melting against him, his breaths quickening with every touch. “edge…”

“Mine,” Edge repeated, earnestly.

“edge... bedroom?” Rus drew back to study Edge, his gaze searching. Edge hesitated a moment, then squeezed Rus briefly, breathing in to keep himself in control. He nodded and they climbed off the sofa.

Edge followed Rus down the hall. He found Rus’s hand and laced their fingers together. Rus squeezed his hand, and Edge didn’t let go.

The bedroom was dim, the curtains drawn. It was comfortable, safe. Edge held Rus against his side as he searched through the drawers. He swallowed when his dig through Rus’s untidy sock drawer revealed nothing, moving quickly to the second drawer down. “It’s not here,” he whispered in panic when he came up empty again.

“left drawer,” Rus told him quietly, running his fingers down Edge’s back for reassurance. Edge inhaled shakily. He pulled open the left drawer and sagged with relief. Rus’s hold tightened on his hand, and he warmed.

He picked up the black leather collar, running his thumb over the silver tag that read ‘Papyrus’. His chest unknotted slightly at the familiar feeling of the leather in his hands. Slowly, he closed the drawer, shutting his sockets for a moment before turning to Rus.

An unspoken moment passed between them. There was intensity in Rus’s gaze. His eye-lights looked bright in the dark room; fierce, but compliant. Edge brushed his face, tasting the smooth bone beneath his fingers, then moved to his neck. Rus pressed into his hand, his purring growing louder as Edge secured the collar around his neck.

Relief flooded Edge as magic did; it settled in his mandible, deliciously hot. Rus kept his head bowed, but Edge could see gold glowing between his teeth. He cupped the back of his neck, slipping his fingers beneath the collar. He hummed in deep satisfaction, then drew Rus in and kissed him. “You’re mine,” he murmured gutturally through the taste of Rus’s magic. “Say you’re mine.”

Rus sighed into his mouth, then let his head fall against Edge’s chest as they drew apart. “i’m yours,” he breathed.

Edge’s soul soared, and he could feel its glow without looking. “You’re mine. Mine to protect. Mine to keep safe, Rus. My Rus. My sweet Rus.” He wrapped Rus in his arms and held him for an unknowable length of time. Rus was here; Rus was his; Rus was safe.

 

Edge watched as Rus undressed. There was nothing erotic about his movements, yet Edge could feel his magic stirring, aroused. Rus unbuckled his pants gracelessly and let them fall around his ankles. He stepped out of them awkwardly as he unbuttoned his shirt, then kicked his clothes into a pile beneath the dresser.

Edge frowned, but it was with fondness that he observed the poor habit. Like all of Rus’s shortcomings, his untidiness was something that made him so _Rus._

And now he stood bare but for the black leather around his neck. His back was to Edge, and Edge traced his delicate ribs with his eyes. Every inch of him was smooth, and fragile like porcelain. He had no scars. He was a clean slate—and stars, Edge wanted to _mark_ him.

He hesitated as he buttoned his own pyjama shirt. Leaving it open, he approached Rus and cupped his waist before he could reach for his own pyjamas. Going still beneath Edge’s touch, Rus glanced over his shoulder, a question in his eyes. Edge pressed himself against Rus’s back and kissed the nape of his neck, breathing in the scent of the collar. His own magic touched it, making the smell sharper.

“Let me have you,” he breathed, biting Rus’s shoulder softly. “Please.”

Rus smiled and turned in his arms to kiss him. “you wanna fuck?” he asked.

“No.” Edge angled Rus to face him then pressed into him, pinning him against the dresser and kissing him again, harder. He gripped the collar and pulled on it to make his meaning clear. “I need you.”

Heat stirred in Rus’s expression, and he nodded. He kissed Edge again, softer this time, deeper. Edge tasted him and revelled in it, Rus’s sweetness trickling over his tongue. Rus allowed Edge to lower him onto the bed, wrapping his arms around Edge’s back.

Edge settled between his knees and their pelvic bones brushed. He could feel warmth congealing at Rus’s pelvic inlet, and he purred deeply. Curling his hand around the collar, he pulled Rus up and crushed their mouths together. Rus panted into his mouth and Edge ground down, stimulating Rus’s magic and seeking _more._

His grip remained firm on Rus’s collar as he kissed him. Rus’s heavy breaths became soft moans, and Edge’s soul flooded with aroused excitement at the first feeling of Rus’s cock. He moved his hand down Rus’s ribs and gave his cock a slow stroke, capturing his whimpers with his mouth.

Edge felt Rus’s hand creeping over his hip and beneath the waistband of his pyjama pants. “please,” he breathed. “let me…”

Edge held Rus’s collar firmly and dominated their kiss, pinning Rus to the mattress and sliding his pants off. Small, breathy noises escaped Rus’s mouth as Edge guided his fingers between his folds. He groaned as Rus pressed a finger inside him, bucking his hips against the touch to push him deeper. “Mine,” he panted, clinging to the collar and nipping Rus’s jaw. When Rus pushed a second finger inside, he growled and sunk his teeth into Rus’s clavicle. “oh…” Rus gasped, then whined, pumping his fingers hard. He hit a delicious spot within Edge, flushing his joints with magic.

“Enough,” Edge breathed, holding Rus’s wrist and pulling him out. He and Rus shared a look, and Edge hummed, deeply contented with the arousal in Rus’s expression. He pulled him upright and settled into his lap, nudging the tip of Rus’s cock with his folds. He swayed his hips gently—just to see the flicker of desperation in Rus’s eyes. “Ready, pet?” he purred, stroking Rus’s neck with the sharp tips of his fingers. He felt him shudder.

“please,” Rus said, confirming his consent.

Holding Rus steady by his collar, Edge lined himself up and sank down. He groaned and pressed his mouth into Rus’s neck as he was slowly filled. Rus’s breaths became sharp and warm, his fingers scraping Edge’s ribs as he held onto him. When Edge was fully seated, he growled with pleasure, drawing away so he could look at Rus’s face.

Their eyes met. Rus’s were wide, eye-lights burning hot and dilated. “My beautiful Rus,” Edge sighed, rubbing his thumb over Rus’s jaw. He began to move, letting his hips rise and fall slowly. He clutched Rus, holding him in place as he rode him. He didn’t let go of the collar, running his fingers over the coarse leather and the smooth bones beneath.

He gave the collar a strong tug and Rus groaned, his head falling against Edge’s shoulder. Edge pressed his mouth against Rus’s acoustic meatus, panting. “You’re mine. I’ve got you. You’re safe, pet. You’re safe with me.”

He began to speed up, bouncing himself heavily on Rus’s cock until he hit a spot inside himself that sent a rush of heat to his soul. “Yes, pet,” he gasped. “Oh _yes._ Stars, you feel good inside me.” He held Rus fiercely close. He was here, he was protected, he was safe in Edge’s arms.

Edge licked Rus’s neck, dragging his tongue up until he reached the collar. He smoothed his fingers over the leather, then bit down, tasting the sweet chalkiness of bone. Rus gave a soft cry and shuddered, clawing at Edge’s back to hold on.

“That’s it,” Edge moaned deeply. “ _Fuck._ That’s it, love.” He hilted himself on Rus’s cock and held himself there. He was still, and Rus twitched beneath him with need.

“ _please,_ ” Rus sobbed. “oh— _edge._ please, _please._ ”

Edge leaned back so that he could look at Rus’s face. It glistened with tears, and his eye-lights were glazed. Edge circled his hips—barely—and Rus whimpered. “Say that you’re mine,” Edge murmured, stroking the bones beneath Rus’s collar. “Say it.” He lifted his hips marginally then sunk back down, and Rus choked weakly.

“i’m yours,” he gasped. “ah! edge, _please._ ”

Edge started riding him again, harder this time. He groaned, grasping at Rus as he . “Now come for me,” he growled. “Come for me, Rus. I want to see you come.” Rus tried to bury his face against Edge’s shoulder, but Edge pulled him back, looking him straight in the eye. “Let me see you.”

Rus stared at Edge as his expression cracked, crumbling in bliss. His moans were desperate and unrestrained, hitting something deep in Edge’s soul. He groaned as Rus spilled into him. The pleasant flood of warmth inside him made him purr. Bucking his hips, he pressed Rus’s hand to his clit, prompting him to rub his fingers against it. Edge came groaning, his fingers laced around Rus’s collar. He kissed Rus through it, burying his moans in his mouth. “Mine,” he whispered, his voice a half-sob. “My sweet, precious Rus.”

“i love you,” Rus breathed into shoulder, purring deeply.

“Yes,” Edge sighed. The words were reflexive at this point, but they always carried reassurance. Edge needed it. “Yes, pet. I love you. I love you, Rus.”

As his high gradually receded, Edge lowered Rus onto his back, handling him gently. He lay there on top of him, and held him; even when he felt Rus softening inside him; even when Rus’s magic dispelled. Edge kept his cunt formed. He wanted to feel Rus’s cum inside him—wanted the memory of their closeness to linger. A reminder that Rus was here. Wrapped up in his arms. Safe.

 

Rus lay asleep, bundled in Edge’s hold. Their bones were clean and dry, but the warm afterglow of their intimacy still lingered in Edge’s body. Rus’s head was cradled to his sternum. Edge kept his hand wrapped around the collar; securing Rus to him; marking him; protecting him. Rus was his, and he was safe.

When Rus had asked Edge how long he wanted to leave the collar on, Edge hadn’t had an answer for him. It differed every time. Sometimes it was only for a night; sometimes it was just a few hours; and sometimes, it was weeks. And although the collar helped, Edge was never truly free of worry. He never stopped thinking about how fragile Rus was—how easily he could lose him.

But tonight, he would forget. Tonight, he would push aside those thoughts, and he would hold Rus. Because in his arms, Rus was safe.

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblrs are [@alicedragons](https://alicedragons.tumblr.com/) for reblogs and nonsense, and [@dragonfics](https://dragonfics.tumblr.com/) for fic updates and drabbles if you're interested. (Both are NSFW, so please do not follow if you're under 18).


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